Fixture for window-shades.



P. G. EMERY.

FIXTURE FOR WINDOW SHADES.

APPLICATION rILEDIuLY25.1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Zze' %r 7206/2252 ai: MLC/' I l 01% MMT@ THE-C QLUAIBIA PLANOGRAPII co.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

P. G. EMERY.

FIXTURE FOR WINDOW SHADES.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 25. I9I3.

1,170,742. y Patented Feb. 8, m16.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

29g Mmmm THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM C0.. WASHINGTON. D. vc.

.PLATO G. EMERY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIXTURE Fon wINDow-sIrArns.

Application filed July 25, 1913. Serial No. 781,068.

` To 'all lwhom it may concern ranged in accordance with one form o-myv 'l Fig. 8 is a central longitudinaly section.v

Be it known that I, PLATO G. EMERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fixtures for Window-Shades, and

declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this' specification.

lThe present invention relates to lshades or curtains having at one end a stick provided with headsadapted to travel in grooves in the window frame and has for its object to produce a device which shall beetlicient and reliable in operation, durable, convenient to assemble and operate, and at thesame time simple and inexpensive in construction.v

The various features oi'fnovelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity `in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objectsv and. advantages, reference may be had to the following l detailed description taken in` connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

VFigure l is a central longitudinal section taken through one end of'a shade stick ar'- invention; Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section of the parts` shown in Fig. l, the parts being illustratedA in the positions which they occupy when 'the heads are retracted; Fig.'3 is a front view on a smaller scale of a complete stick; Fig-4 is a front'elevation of the central portion of a stick embodying armodiied form of my invention; Fig. 5 isa central longitudinal section taken at right angles to the plane: of- Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5, illustrating a further modification;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with thelv parts occupying the releasing .positions through the middle portion of the stick containing a still further modification; Fig. 9'

is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the parts in the releasing positions; Fig. 10v isa trans-` verse section taken between thenger pieces of a stick arranged injaccordancev withaV further 'modiiication ofvmy invention; and Figli isan elevation oit a-,modned form' of friction'block.

In lthe ordinary Streetcar lor railway car.

l vSpecziicaton of Letters Patent.

what when it is desired 'to raise or lower the' shade, but this retraction Vof the heads should. not be suiiicient to permit the heads to` pass out. vofthegrooves in the window frames.-

. Oneof'the featuresvof my inventionf'has to doaparticularly with the control of the headson the ends of a shade stick, so as kto permit them ordinarilyitobe retracted ysufciently to release their rictional grip atthe sides ofthe-window without dangerof com- -1 pletely disengaging them from their grooves and also making it possible,w when desired, to retract `the heads far enough toV releaseV them from thegrooves.

Reference being hadto the firstthree lig-u ures of the drawings, l represents atubular shade stick havingyat'theends suitable heads,v Y

2, which may conveniently be ,mounted-.by

providing them with stems slid'ably ittingV i .l

into the open ends of the tubular stick. At the iniddleoiI the' tube theresis formedi an opening, 4, through which'extend finger pieces, 5, of any suitablegkind.- Each head is connected to one of thefinger pieces in; any suitable way, convenientlyv by 4means. ofl a rod, 6, one, end of. which is attachedto the head and the other end screwfthreaded into;

the linger piece. Behind eachhead may b e On each-V finger piece is aprojection, l0, exi-' tending laterally from onerside in the direc,

tionof the'otherffingerjpi'ece. `The parts are` Y so arranged that. when the twoinger pieces are grasped and pressed together asis usu-` ally done when itis desired to'retractthe head suiiicier'ltly'toV permit theis'hade toqbe` g raisedgor, lowered easilyg'the projections y10 strike aga-inst',the abutment 8, limiting lthe movement of the finger pieces toward*eachY other and the extent to which the heads are retracted; the parts being so proportioned before the finger pieces are arrested by the abutment.

When for any reason it is desired to releasethe stick from interlocking engagement with the window frame, the finger pieces are pressed laterally at the same time that they are drawn together, so as to permit the projections 10 to pass on one side of the abutment. In the arrangement shown the parts are so arranged that by pressing the finger pieces inwardly as they are drawn together, the projections will pass beneath the abutment without being arrested by them. This additional retracting movement of the heads through a distance equal to the width of the abutment is sufficient to release the headsfrom the 'grooves in the window frame. This control of the heads does not interfere in any way with lthe longitudinal adjustment of the heads which permits a stick to be fitted nicely into frames varying somewhat yin width, because the heads may be adjusted in and out by simply screwing the rod 6 farther into or partially unscrewingthem from fthe finger pieces.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated a somewhat different arrangement in which the finger pieces l1 arenormally arrested by a movable abutment, 12,- arranged between them, In the particular arrangement illustrated, the abutment is made of greater length than width and isV normally held with its greater dimension in alinement with the two finger pieces by means of a torsion spring 13. Normally, therefore, the finger pieces kmay be pressed toward each other so as partially to retract the heads on the stick, complete retraction being prevented by the abutment. When the abutment is turnedaround through an angle of 90 degrees against the tension of its spring,

its shorter dimension is brought into alinement with 'the finger pieces and therefore the finger pieces may be brought more closely together than during normal conditions, making it possible to eect a complete release of the heads from the window grooves.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have combined the features of the twovforms already described, there being an abutment normally in position toengage with the projections, l0, on the finger pieces, and this abutment being movable'so as to permit the finger piecesfto approach each other more closely. 4In vthis form of my invention, 'the abutment comprises a tubular button, '14, `slidable upon a stationary guide,- 15, in 'the stick andlnormally pressed outwardly by a spring, 16,

surrounding the post or guide 15. The button is provided with an outwardly-projecting stem, 17', by means of which the button may be pressed inwardly out of the paths 'of the projections 10.

each other and then, instead of the end of one projection striking the end of the other projection, the two projections slide past each other as indicated in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 10 I have shown still -another arrangement, there being a hinged abutment, 20, in the position occupied by the abutment S in Fig. 1. Normally the operation is the same aswith the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired 'to release the stick from the window frame, the `abutment is swung out ofthe way and the finger pieces are free to approach each other more closely than when y'the abutment is in its working position.

My invention includes a second feature which adds to the simplicity, efficiency and durability ofvmy improved device. In the ordinary fixture, the heads on the stick are provided with anti-friction rollers as indicated at 25 in Figs. l, 2 and 3 and with some means between the rollers for effecting a frictional engagement 'between the stick and the window frame. In accordance with my invention this latter means takes the form of a small block, 26, polygonal in form and secured in the head by a pin or n journal, 27, passing `through the center of the polygon and at right angles to the axis of the stick. In the arrangementshown in Figs. l and 2 eachhead is provided with a single friction block arranged in alinement with the stick while in the arrangement shown in Fig. Seach head has two of these blocks as indicated at 28. The blocks are so proportioned and so located on the heads that one side of the block projects slightly beyond a line tangent to both of the anti-friction rollers; so that when the stick is horizontal the blocks engage with the window frames and hold the anti-friction rollers slightly away from the frame. Each friction block has `only a comparatively small surface in contact with the windo-w-frameso that the pressure per unit area is much greater than in the case of the elongated friction shoe vusually employed.

Consequently a firm grip is obtained on the window frame and the slipping which occurs when the ordinary long shoe becomes polished through wear is obviated. rIhere is of course more or less wear on the working faces of the blocks and, by making the blocks polygonal and supporting them rotatably, the same face will not always be the working face, butone face after another will naturally come into play so that the wear will vbe distributed over all of the faces. Of course, if desired, the blocks may be supported in such a way that they will not turn freely and in this event each face will be subjected to wear until the block is intentionally turned so as to bring another face into the working position.

In Fig. l1 I have illustrated a modified form of block, 29, having the yshape of a pointed star. The action of this block is the same as that heretofore described except that the wearing surfaces are smaller.

Vhile I have illustrated and described only a few simple forms of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which fall withinthe terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, a shadev stick, a head mounted at the end of the stick so as to be movable lengthwise of the stick, a rod extending from the head into the stick, an actuating device on the rod, and a device in the path of the actuating device and adapted to limit its movement in the direction of the length of the stick, one of said devices being normally yieldingly held in alinement with the other device and being movable in a direction to bring it out of alinement with the other and afford the actuating device an increased range of movement. Y Y

2. In combination, .a shade stick, a head mounted at the end of the stick so as-to be movable lengthwise of the stick, a rod extending from the head into the stick, an actuating device on the rod, and a stop device normally adapted to engage with the actuating device at a predetermined point in the movement of the latter in the direction of the length of the stick, one of said devices being normally yieldingly held in alinement with the other device and being movable transversely of the Vstick to permit the actuating device to pass beyond said predetermined point.

3. In combination, a hollow shade stick having an opening through the side, a head mounted at one end of the stick so as to be movable lengthwise of the stick, a rod extending from the head into the stick, a finger piece on the rod extending through said opening, and a stop device adapted in normal operation to engage with a shoulder on the finger piece to arrest the movement-v of the nger piece in the direction of the length of the stick, the parts being so proportioned that the finger piece may be moved transversely of the stick to bring said shoulder out of alinement with the stop to aii'ord the linger piece an increased range of movement.

4. In combination, atubular shade stick having an 'opening through the side, a head mounted at the end of the stick soas to be movable lengthwise of the stick, a small rod extending from the head into thestick, a iinger piece extending from said rod through said opening, said inger piece having a projection extending laterally toward the end of said opening farthest from said head so las to engage with the edge of said opening in the normal operation of the finger piece and limit its movement, and the parts beingl so 'proportioned as to permit the inner end of the rod to be sprung laterally far enough to let said projectiony clear the aforesaid edge of the opening.

5. In combination, a shade stick, a head mounted at the end of the stick so as to be movable lengthwise thereof, a rod extending from the head into the stick, an actuating device on the rod, and a device in the path ofthe actuating device and adapted to limit its movement-in the direction of the length `of the stick, the parts being so constructed and arranged that one of said devices is normally held yieldingly in alinement with the other device and is movable relatively thereto in a direction to bring them out of alinement with each other and afford the actuating device an increased range of movement.

6. In combination with a shade stick, of a head on the end of saidstick, rollers at the ends of said head, and a polygonal friction block journaled on said head between said rollers so as to be rotatable about an axis transverse to the stick. Y

. In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

PLATO G. EMERY.

Witnesses:

WM. F. FREUDENREICH, RUTH-E. ZrrLunRvALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

